Freedom Worth Fighting For...
“An unjust law is no law at all, which means I have a right, even a duty, to resist.” -Saint Augustine
As I laid in bed last night, I spent the first hours of Black History Month watching The Great Debaters (2007). It was a fitting way to ring in the month that America’s new administration aims to erase. While the film played, I couldn’t help but to feel entangled in a web of pride and disturbance. While I am proud to ride another wave of uplifting Black Excellence, I’m equally dismayed over the active efforts to undo our 400-year fight for federal civil rights. My heart is reflective of my country’s song of ice and fire. Just weeks after one coast historically burned while the other froze, we find ourselves navigating an ugly new America. In just 12 days, the nation's tyrant has fulfilled his promises that seek to dismantle democracy, demonize diversity, and remove protections for the marginalized.
Like other sensible voters who saw the risk of this looming reality far before the inauguration, I have spent the days leading into February feeling a sense of desensitized outrage. Yes, I'm supporting all the F*** Around and Find Out (FAFO) energy that's circulating online, but I'm also unsettled by the negative shift toward repeating history that is threatening our future. Last night's movie choice was an undeniable reminder of what inequality uniquely looks like for Black people. It's denied access to education, housing, and resources based upon "merit" that is defined by the discretion or prejudice of the reviewer; the constant threat of violence over any minor action; and a systemic effort to make us feel small...unworthy...less than. Even still, I'm encouraged by the real purpose of this monthlong celebration, which is honoring that struggle while commemorate the unwavering determination that has driven the enduring legacy of Black America.
Regardless of who would like to skip it, Black History Month remains a celebration of Black people, my people, whose hands, sweat, bones, and blood built this nation. Sure, founding fathers may have sat at tables that excluded all but their own voices, signing documents promising the questionable principle of “Liberty and Justice for All." Meanwhile our ancestors were chained to their illustrious estates. But it was truly the work of the enslaved and their descendants which truly built this nation into the global force it became. Every monument, statehouse, streetlight, and city bears the seal of our labor; and every cash crop sits atop earth that is littered with our remains.
Through years of exploitation and with resilience that other groups can’t fathom, Black people have survived injustice while still daring to hope for more. As slavery evolved into sharecropping and the violent codes of Jim Crowe, they fought for our piece of America’s promise, step by step, brick by brick, by and by. Through death, bloodshed, and hard-fought achievement, generations of persistence finally gained us equal rights by federal law, just 60 short years ago.
The quote above was a driving theme in The Great Debaters, but I saw another one recently that really put our reality into perspective: "
"The first people born under a system of equal rights in America are all under 60 years old." - Social Media User
Now, a despicable excuse for a man sits in The People’s House, that our ancestors built, weaponizing his pen to strip away everything they fought for. His followers believe his false claims that DEI=Black and historic events driving race relations in this country never happened. We know better from the evidence and oral traditions that carried our stories long before; and we know that Black people in America will always find a way to carry on. But we also know that his unflinching bigotry and arrogance are the most imminent threat to our very lives. Because of this, Black History Month 2025 holds greater significance than any other February ever has.
Today, I'm inspired by the undefeated Wiley College Debate Team of 1935. Moreover, I'm reminded of the power we hold. No matter how much we try to run from reality, Black America’s legacy now rests in our hands, and we stand on the precipice of change equipped more than ever to fight for what is right.
We are the leaders that we are looking for.
We must be the change that we wish to see.
Will we fight for our future, or be the first in our lineage to cower in the face of adversity?
When the story is told, on which side of history will you be?
Between the community events and celebrations this month, I suggest that you take some time to figure it out.
P.s. If your ass didn't vote/voted third party, get ready to stuff envelopes at the meetings and stfu.
Thanks,
Management
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